China inaugurates free- trade zone in Shanghai

FREE AT LAST?Chinese officials are touting the zone as a major push toward economic liberalization, but many analysts remain reserved on seeing significant changes

AFP, SHANGHAI

“Li Keqiang ... seems to be associating his office and his own reputation with this initiative, which is why people are taking it as the first indication as we get close to the plenum of what the economic reform agenda will look like,” Jarrett said.

China’s economy expanded 7.7 percent last year, its slowest pace in 13 years. Year-on-year growth stood at 7.7 percent in the first three months of this year and slowed further to 7.5 percent in the April-to-June period.